Our Savior

So...How Was Mexico?

Abigail’s response:

Before departing for Mexico I defined my hope and joy in the satisfaction and peace I had with myself. I found joy where there was laughter and excitement. Hope was defined by how satisfied I felt in my relationship with God and peace in who I was. My hope was reliant on the combination of mine and God’s strength. I was selfish and proud. Internally I would recite the mantra: those who hope in the Lord will not be disappointed, but because half of my hope was in myself I continually became disappointed –my flesh is so weak. Hungry and desperate for God’s reassuring voice I had become. So, finally in Mexico –after character building experiences at Master’s college and Magic Mountain –my perspective began to shake. The fact that God calls us to mission-al lifestyles convicted me and created internal conflict. Was I ready to surrender my whole life and strength to God? Yes!.... I wanna trust God that much. My previous understandings of hope and joy have become conflicted. It was not until I met Aurora, a 7 year old Mexican girl with long brown braided hair and a round face holding a constant plastered smile that I realized how surface level my joy was. How surface level and worldly my hope was. From my experience in Mexico, joy was in the constant smiles of children and colorful amenities throughout the community which beamed amidst the dull browns and greys. Joy was the chorus’s sung amongst the community of Christians together worshipping one God. Hope was being lulled to sleep by the distant screams, aches, and chaos of the city knowing that God alone was their hope, our hope. Hope is not how satisfied we are with life, but it is the reliance we presume on God. It is how we find joy in conflict, how we smile even though it hurts. It is how we sing even though we are lonely, how we use and raise our hands in worship even though we are afraid. Hope is seeing the color when the hues and shades have faded away from being dried out. Hope is God, not defined as satisfaction or comfort in life –God is our only hope. In Romans 5: 3-5 is says: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character,and character hope. And hope does not disappoint because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” This trip has taught me how to develop a character immersed in God, the discovery of a renewed hope. Interestingly enough, hope begins with suffering. Have I missed out on hope because life is so comfortable? Not entirely, Mexico has only been a reminder of how to genuinely hope. I want to merge back into a mission-al lifestyle that hopes and seeks out the uninvited.

Casey’s response:

Mexico was life changing, to say the least. I can honestly say that my life will never be the same. I had the opportunity to see how God is working in the vibrant culture of Mexico and I got a taste of what it’s like to experience the fullness of God through a missional lifestyle. I learned that missions are where God’s heart is, and with His help I plan to obey his command to go and surrender my future to Him. My life is no longer mine, and thanks to the things I learned in Tijuana, it will be thoroughly absorbed in His plan for me. 

But besides having my life completely changed, I had the chance to practice my Spanish, learn how to hammer a nail and use a chalk line, spend time with adorable ornery children who like to hammer your nail apron into plywood walls, eat delicious carne asada tacos, drink Manzana Lift and horchata, laugh and cry with the new friends that I made, and serve the Lord’s people in the name of a big God who loves the world passionately.

Rachel’s response:

Mexico was more than I imagined…it was amazing to work with the children down there and to see my friends show God to them. This was a life changing experience because I have finally dedicated my life to God and become a missionary for him and who goes overseas and work with people but mostly with the children because they are my passion. I just know when I go home I’m not going to be the same little crazy ball of energy that I was going into this trip. I have cried a lot on this trip, and I have laughed but not as much as I have cried. I have made so many life time friends that I don’t want to say goodbye to because I will miss them so much because of how much we have bonded these past 2 weeks. I wish we all could just stay in Mexico for 2 and a half more weeks. I think everyone has noticed that I have come out of my shell a lot during this trip. I’m excited to go home tomorrow but at the same time I am sad because I’m going to miss so many of my new found friends. I really don’t enjoy getting to know someone really well then have to say goodbye to them. I just know that I’m going to cry. But I loved Mexico and I can’t wait until the next serve.